


binder

by vor_tex



Category: One Piece
Genre: Awkwardness, Crying, Emotions, Fluff, Gen, Gender Dysphoria, LGBTQ Character, Trans Character, Trans Male Character, binding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-14 04:40:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28664871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vor_tex/pseuds/vor_tex
Summary: sanji gets his first binder, and asks zoro for some help putting it on.
Relationships: Roronoa Zoro & Vinsmoke Sanji
Kudos: 58





	binder

**Author's Note:**

> there is a severe lack of ftm sanji content here, so i decided to take matters into my own hands. i know it's a little bit short and rushed, but i hope this suffices!

Sanji ambled up to the crow's nest, awkwardly clutching a bag to his side. He was nervous, more nervous for this than practically anything else he had ever done, but he didn't really have a choice. He felt this was his only option, and it was better to get it over with as soon as possible.

As he made his way inside, he feigned confidence, facing the green-haired swordsman with false conviction. The shithead didn't even bother greeting him as he sat on the floor, lifting inhuman sized weights above his head with ease. There wasn't even a drop of sweat on his forehead. It was as if he was picking flowers in a sunlit field.

"I need to … to ask a favor of you." Sanji started, shakily. His voice cracked, the damn testosterone Chopper had started him on was making his voice change. It was something he needed, but he swore his voice always broke at the worst times. He cleared his throat.

Zoro simply grunted in response, not putting his weights down. He was far too into the zone.

Sanji rolled his eyes, "Can you pretend to care? Just for a minute?"

The swordsman stopped lifting then, setting the weights down in front of him. He stretched, muscles flexing in his back — Sanji focused on literally anything else so he wouldn't get a nosebleed. It smelled awful in here. Zoro stood through his stretch and turned to face the blond. He cracked his neck, eyebrow quirking at the bag Sanji clutched in his fist, "What's in the bag?"

"I'm getting there!" Sanji impatiently huffed. He awkwardly scratched at the nape of his neck as he looked out the window, "The last island we stopped on … I requested to stop there."

"Why?" Zoro impatiently cut in.

Sanji groaned, rolling his eyes to the swordsman, "Christ, you're insufferable. You know how … you know how I'm transgender, right?" When Zoro nodded, Sanji continued, "Well, a while ago I was dealing with some pain in my sides; at first I was sure it was just you giving me a hard time, but it kept getting worse. I asked Chopper about it, and he started harping on me, about the way I've been binding. Said I was damaging my ribs."

Zoro frowned, "Where's this going?"

Sanji clenched his jaw, "We stopped at the island because Chopper had heard of someone there who specialized in tailoring things to help transgender men. That's why we stayed there for a few days; I needed some time with the guy so he could measure me and whatever."

Sanji reached into the bag and pulled out a sleek, skin-toned binder. He dropped the bag next to him and held the binder up for Zoro to see, "This is called a binder. It's like, the 'proper' thing for transmen to use to bind their chests." He lowered the binder so he could look at Zoro, chewing on the side of his tongue before he spoke, "I'm asking you to help me put it on the first time. I just need someone on stand-by … in case I get stuck."

Zoro waited a moment, looking between the binder and Sanji, before he asked, "Why me?"

Sanji frowned, "Well, I didn't want the ladies to see me in such a compromising position … I don't think Chopper could handle it, even though he's our doctor, it wouldn't feel right for me. Everyone else, uh…" Sanji shook his head, not able to voice his concerns about Brook or Usopp seeing his breasts, or Franky accidentally tearing the binder. Luffy would probably see it as some kind of game. He sighed, voice warbling as he admitted out loud, "You're the only person I can trust. So, please?"

The moss-head thought about it for a second. Sanji couldn't even begin to imagine the thoughts running through his mind. Finally, he nodded. As if this wasn't the most awkward thing happening in the history of ever, Zoro asked, "So, how does this work?"

Sanji let out a sigh of relief. At least he wasn't making it weird. "You're going to turn around and wait for me to ask you to help. You don't need to watch."

Zoro nodded, "Yes, sir." And turned around, crossing his arms over his chest.

Sanji's heart fluttered at the nickname. He chewed on his lip for a moment, looking at the binder with curiosity. He had asked the tailor for tips on how to get into it, and he had explained thoroughly, but it seemed like such a daunting task. It was his recommendation too that Sanji have somebody on stand-by.

The cook pulled off his shirt and started unwrapping the bandages from around his chest. He had been going against Chopper's requests to stop binding, at least for a while until he had a binder. His dysphoria was bad enough to drive him crazy, and the idea of not binding, even just around the others on the ship, was enough to make him want to cry. Even the fact that he was removing his bindings around Zoro, someone who had undoubtedly seen him topless before, was making him feel a little queasy.

He swallowed, lifting the binder over his head. God, it was fucking snug. He tried stretching it over his head, and ended up with his arms in a position where he couldn't move. Sanji panicked for a moment, breath shaking. He really didn't want to actually stoop down to asking Zoro for help, but his shoulder was millimeters away from dislocating.

Sanji's voice shook, "Uhm … I need help, shitty marimo."

He turned so his back faced Zoro, but he knew it didn't matter. Tears gathered in his eyes as Zoro came up behind him, lightly touching his shoulder to let him know he was there before trying to get a grip on the fabric. He tugged and Sanji gasped as the fabric made a noise he did not like. He grit his teeth, "You brute, I swear to God if you rip this, I'll kick you into the next fucking century!"

"I'm sorry! Jesus, why is it so tight?" Zoro grunted, trying to pull it in a different direction. Sanji yelped as his shoulder edged backwards.

"It has to be! It's supposed to constrict … everything." He sighed, "You're going to dislocate my shoulder like this."

Zoro frowned, "Turn around, and bend over."

Sanji stopped dead in his tracks, "What did you just tell me to fucking do?"

The swordsman groaned, "Christ, cook, get your head out of the gutter! Maybe we can get it over your head easier if you're leaning down." Sanji's eyes threatened to spill over with tears then and he nervously stood still. Something must have turned on in Zoro's brain as he spoke low, "Hey, it's okay. You don't have to be worried. I won't look."

Sanji let out a deep and shaky breath, "Fine." He slowly turned around to face the swordsman, and noticed how he had closed his good eye. He was being truthful. Sanji swallowed the lump in his throat as he leaned down, and tried for a moment to pull his arms out without Zoro's help. It didn't work. He shook his head, "Okay, I'm down."

Zoro curtly nodded before he opened his eye, and true to his word, kept it specifically on the cook's back as he grabbed hold of the bottom of the binder and lightly tugged it towards himself. They worked in unison until it came slipping over his head, awkwardly pulling over his hair and ears. Sanji sighed in relief, just glad to be out of the hellish device.

Zoro handed the binder back to the blond before he turned around again, waiting for Sanji's word.

He tried to get into it the same way, going over the head. Obviously this just wasn't going to work, as he was stuck once again in a similar position, only this time he didn't get nearly as far along before his other shoulder was stretched out in a way that terrified him. He immediately turned around and leaned over, asking for Zoro's assistance.

He was starting to feel hopeless, ready to give up on getting into the damn thing at all. Sanji's heart sank as he realized he would be putting himself in those stretched out bandages for the rest of his life. This time when he finally got out of the binder he sat back on the floor with his legs stretched out in front of him and let out a groan, opting to put his shirt back on. His frown etched itself deeper in his face as tears started to run down his cheeks. His voice broke as he mumbled, "You can look at me. It's fine."

Zoro turned, immediately noticing Sanji was crying. He sat down in front of the cook with a large frown plastered on his face, crossing his legs, "What's wrong?"

Sanji slightly pulled his legs up and leaned into his knees, the way his chest pressed into his thighs making him feel sick. He shook his head as he ran his hands through his hair, "I was just so fucking excited for this. I thought, finally, I'm going to have a real way to bind, that maybe doesn't hurt as much. Not nasty, stretched out bandages that are bulky as shit underneath my shirts, do a shitty, inconsistent job and … this is just turning into a nightmare." He croaked, then dropped his forehead into his knees. He felt sick.

"Hey, cook," Zoro started, gentle and low, "it's not a lost cause yet. You've only tried twice, and I know you've never been the kind of person to give up so easily. This isn't any different from anything else you've conquered." Zoro gently placed his hands on the cook's calves, "Have you considered stepping into it? Might be easier than trying to go over."

The blond hummed in response, then lifted his head, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his palms, "I could try that."

Zoro curtly nodded then stood, stepping away and turning around, "Let me know if you need help with anything."

Sanji let out a deep sigh, sitting on the floor for a moment to collect himself before standing up. He kicked off his shoes and removed his shirt once more, then picked up the binder. He held it close to the ground and stepped into it, struggling to pull it up around his thighs and waist, but managing with a little bit of jumping. He hunched over, slipping his arms into the arm holes, and then pulled it up over his chest.

His heart skipped a couple beats as he readjusted, until he was … flat.

He was flat.

Sanji ran his hands over his chest a couple times, relishing in the way his hands moved with a more masculine curvature, just pure muscle and ribcage. The fat had basically disappeared underneath the fabric, and while it was a little bit snug and made breathing a smidge more difficult, the binder was tailored to him so it fit … perfectly. A smile creeped onto his face as he physically held himself back from jumping with joy.

"Uhm, you can turn around now, if you want."

Zoro turned, eye meeting Sanji's for confirmation before he looked at the blond's chest. Sanji lifted his arms and twisted from side to side, proudly puffing his chest out. He couldn't stop himself from grinning as he spoke with pure exhilaration, "It's on!"

Like an excited child on Christmas day, Sanji picked up his shirt off of the floor and threw it on over his head. He turned and walked toward one of the mirrors placed in the crow's nest, unable to contain himself as he realized how sleek the binder made everything look. He turned, palms running up over his chest as he looked in the mirror. Sanji just couldn't get over it. He didn't have to be disgustingly dysphoric anymore.

Sanji turned again to Zoro and smiled widely.

"You look great, Sanji." Zoro spoke simply, but with powerful conviction that made the cook feel even better about himself. The use of his name made flowers bloom in his heart. He couldn't stop himself from walking over to the swordsman, looping his arms around his waist and burying his face in the taller man's chest.

A deep blush spread over his face, mind clearing of any doubt as he mumbled, "Thank you, Zoro."


End file.
